Leading with Rigour and Heart with Sonia Thompson

Primary Futures

Sonia Thompson, Head at St Matthew’s CE Research School, explores the importance of community involvement, research-based educational practices, and the challenges educators face. Sonia shares her experiences as a headteacher, discussing the benefits of being a research school and the collaborative ethos that drives their success. The discussion also covers the current state of education, the pressures of accountability, and envisioning a better future for schools. Sonia's optimism and dedication to creating a supportive and innovative educational environment shine throughout the episode.

• (00:42) - Sonia opens up about a day in the life at St. Matthews, when everything is going right to emphasise how the school builds community and belonging.
• (05:42) - Sonia reveals the visions and values of the school, expressing the importance that not only establishing them, but actively pursuing and working towards achieving them as a school community has within St. Matthews.
• (14:24) - Sonia considers the impact that the workload has on our teachers and how preventing over assessment and over marking can help prevent educators from feeling overwhelmed.
• (25:25) - Sonia discusses St. Matthews position as a research school and how an evidence-based approach to teaching can positively impact students and staff alike.
• (30:41) - Sonia and Ed look to the future of education to consider how improved accountability and support could help educators.

About our guests

Sonia is the Headteacher at St Matthew's CE Teaching School and is also the Director of the Research School. She is co-lead for English and also the History and Assessment Lead. She is an SLE for English and School Improvement and an accredited Talk for Writing Training Centre Lead. She is a member of the steering group for the National Tutoring Programme and an Advisory Board Member for OU/UKLA Reading for Pleasure website. She was a judge of the UKLA book awards 2020 and the Empathy Lab Books 2020. She is a frequent speaker at conferences on Literacy, Curriculum and Reading for Pleasure.

Connect with Sonia Thompson

Key takeaways

• Encourage a supportive and collaborative environment among staff and with other schools to share resources and expertise.
• Recognise and address the pressures on teachers to create a more sustainable and positive work environment.
• Tailor your school's initiatives and projects to meet the specific needs of your students and the local community.
• Be open to refreshing and updating curricula and practices to ensure they remain relevant and effective.

Quotes

• "Today is that day when all of the children are in the same space singing together, acting together, enjoying each other's talents, the teachers are smiling, I'm crying because I'm just overwhelmed with the fact that I'm leading this amazing school." - Sonia Thompson
• "What we do really well is ensure that our parents get a sense that this is their school as well. There are no closed doors to them." - Sonia Thompson
• "Success begets success, I think and we know that when children feel that sense of achievement, it spurs them on to want to do more." - Sonia Thompson

Resource recommendations
Thompson, S. (2022) Berger's An Ethic of Excellence in Action. John Catt.

Heads Up. A network for headteachers; past, present and future.

Oracy Education Commission. An independent commission into speaking and listening skills.

Oxford Brookes University. Education, Early Years and Teacher Training.

Whole Education. A network of leaders in education.

Berger's An Ethic of Excellence in Action by Sonia Thompson

Find out more about the Oracy Commission here.

What will you take away?

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Hamilton Brookes

Primary Futures is brought to you by Hamilton Brookes, your loved and trusted place for quality lesson plans, materials and resources that you can use in your classroom.

To find resources that work for you and your pupils, go to the Hamilton Brookes website and browse ideas for English, maths, science and cross-curricular topics. You can find more information here.

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